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  • Why Twitter chose Ghana as Africa HQ – free speech, online freedom

    It arrived with little shock. Nobody — no organisation — swats the federal government without getting clawed. So when Twitter deleted the message of President Muhammadu Buhari, who had threatened to deal with certain individuals in “the language they understand”, Nigerians knew a major reaction was coming.

    Always, rebuttals come first. Lai Mohammed, minister of information, accused Twitter of “double standard”.  He described the platform as “suspect” and said it has an unknown “mission” in Nigeria.

    “The mission of Twitter in Nigeria is very very suspect,” the minister had said.

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    “Has Twitter deleted the violent tweets that Nnamdi Kanu has been sending? The same Twitter, during the #ENDSARS protests, that was funding #ENDSARS protesters. 

    “You see, we are not going to be fooled by anybody. We have a country to rule and we will do so to the best of our ability. Twitter’s mission in Nigeria citing those two examples is very suspect. What is their agenda?”

    To kill a dog, one must first give it a bad name. With the naming part done, down came the scythe. 

    A few days after the aforementioned development, the federal government suspended the operations of Twitter in Nigeria.

    “The persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence,” read the statement. 

    It all arrived with little shock. Even Twitter, itself, won’t be shocked. It may have anticipated such a move months ago. 

    Ghana over Nigeria 

    In April, the microblogging platform shunned Nigeria and established its African headquarters in Ghana instead, despite Nigerians’ enormous activity on the platform.

    Twitter said the decision was because Ghana is “the champion of democracy” and “a supporter of free speech, online freedom and the open internet”.

    In a blog post, the social media giant praised the free operating room enabled by the Ghanaian authority. 

    “As a champion for democracy, Ghana is a supporter of free speech, online freedom, and the open Internet, of which Twitter is also an advocate,” the statement had read.

    “Furthermore, Ghana’s recent appointment to host The Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area aligns with our overarching goal to establish a presence in the region that will support our efforts to improve and tailor our service across Africa.”

    Almost two months after Nigeria was snubbed by Twitter, the case has judged itself.

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  • Twitter ban means Nigeria not open for investment – Yiaga Africa

    A non – governmental organisation, Yiaga Africa, has condemned the decision of the Federal Government to suspend micro blogging platform, Twitter, saying the decision contravened democratic principles.

    The organisation said the government’s directive that all Over-The-Top (OTT) services must be licensed by the National Broadcasting Commission(NBC) before they could operate within Nigeria had sent “a dangerous signal to the world that Nigeria is not open for investments, particularly in the technology and entertainment sector.”

    According to the organisation, the suspension of Twitter services in Nigeria affirmed the “shrinking civic space in Nigeria.”

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    It asked the Federal Government to reverse the decision immediately and refrain from further assault on press freedom, freedom of expression and free speech.

    In a statement by its Director of Programmes, Cynthia Mbamalu, the organisation said: “To this end, we call on the Federal Government to reverse this decision immediately, and to refrain from further assault on press freedom, freedom of expression and free speech.

    “The suspension of Twitter is antithetical to democratic principles and it portends great threat to the freedom of speech and expression. Twitter, as well as other social media platforms, has emerged as a veritable tool for fostering direct and deliberative democracy by providing a space for citizens to express their opinions, ask difficult questions and demand accountability from their leaders. Interestingly, the Nigerian government also employs the Twitter platform to engage with citizens on public policy matters.

    “This decision coupled with the ill-thought-out policy directive on licensing of OTT platforms sends a dangerous signal to the world that Nigeria is not open for investments, particularly in the technology and entertainment sector.

    “These two sectors have experienced steady growth in recent years and created value through job creation for young people and sustained exports from Nigeria.

    “It is our considered opinion that the suspension of Twitter affirms the shrinking civic space in Nigeria. Democracy cannot thrive in an oppressed civic space where the government opposes any form of dissent or opposition and shuts down easy and accessible channels of communication at will.

    “To this end, we call on the Federal Government to reverse this decision immediately and to refrain from further assault on press freedom, freedom of expression and free speech.

    “Yiaga Africa urges other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp etc to continue to uphold their commitment to sanitising the digital ecosystem by eliminating all forms of hate and harmful content on their platforms regardless of the status of the individuals or groups utilising their platforms to propagate hate speech and misinformation.”

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